US President Donald Trump‘s administration has undertaken a sweeping overhaul of military leadership, dismissing key senior officials in a move that has sent shockwaves through the Pentagon.
On Friday, US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth announced the removal of Admiral Lisa Franchetti as Chief of Naval Operations, marking an abrupt end to the tenure of the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The shake-up also saw the dismissal of Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife, alongside the top Judge Advocate Generals for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The move followed Trump’s decision to remove Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, replacing him with retired Air Force Lieutenant General John Dan “Razin” Caine.
Franchetti and Slife dismissed
Hegseth confirmed the departures while thanking the officers for their service in his statement. “I am also requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.”
Franchetti, a career surface warfare officer, had ascended to the Navy’s second-highest post in 2022 before becoming its top officer in August 2023. Her tenure saw her break barriers as the first woman to serve as a service chief within the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Slife, who had been in his position since late 2023, was a seasoned special operations pilot with extensive experience, including command of Air Force Special Operations Command.
Brown’s departure and Trump’s justification
Trump, in a statement on Truth Social, announced General Brown’s removal and praised his contributions. “I am honoured to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience.”
Trump credited Caine with the rapid defeat of ISIS during his first term, saying, “During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record-setting time, a matter of weeks.” He also criticised the Biden administration for overlooking Caine for promotion.
These high-profile dismissals are part of a wider effort by Trump and his allies to restructure the military leadership. Hegseth has been vocal about his desire to remove officers perceived as prioritising progressive policies over military readiness. Trump’s supporters have frequently called for a purge of what they label as “woke” generals.